Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has expressed sympathy for Australia coach Joe Schmidt, acknowledging the challenges of rebuilding the Wallabies.

Erasmus drew parallels with his own tenure, stating that when he took over the Springboks in 2018, “people in South Africa were burning jerseys.”

These comments follow the Springboks’ 30-12 victory over Australia in a rain-soaked Perth on Saturday, maintaining their perfect start to the 2024 Rugby Championship. This was their second consecutive win over the Wallabies in Australia, having triumphed in Brisbane the previous week.

As the Springboks sit atop the Rugby Championship table, they prepare to host the All Blacks in Johannesburg later this month, followed by another test in Cape Town.

Erasmus highlighted the challenges faced by both teams: “I have mentioned to the boys when they lost 57-0 (New Zealand in 2017) and the next weekend they lost by one point at Newlands Stadium and we saw New Zealand losing to Argentina (last weekend) and now they gave them a proper hiding on Saturday,” said Erasmus. 

“So, you can’t take out the fact there are key players injured, you can’t take out that this is a new coaching staff and Lions series is only next year.”

He continued, “We took the team 18 months to build for the World Cup (in 2019) and people at that time were burning jerseys and not want to go and watch matches.  

“But, when you have the right people on board, of which I think Joe is, right players on board, obviously one of the props (Taniela Tupou lost his father was out for the first test), key part of the team and few others got injured. 

“So, I do think they will be competitive under Schmidt as a head coach.”

Unlike the Springboks, who won the World Cup and defeated New Zealand, and Argentina, who reached the semifinals as three of four SANZAAR union, Australia failed to progress under Eddie Jones, underscoring the magnitude of Schmidt’s rebuilding task. With the British and Irish Lions tour on the horizon, the Wallabies are in a transitional phase.

Erasmus’ own coaching career has been marked by highs and lows. His controversial hour-long video criticizing match officials during the 2021 Lions series led to a World Rugby ban, but he was heavily involved as he guided the Springboks to World Cup glory last year. Australia will host the next Rugby World Cup in 2027.